Catholic Social Teaching covers all spheres of life – the economic, political, personal and spiritual.

With human dignity at its centre, a holistic approach to development founded on the principles of CST is what Pope Paul VI called ‘authentic development’. Explore the Catholic Social Teaching principles and how they guide the work of Development and Peace.

Reflecting on the link between the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, this reflection explains how ecological justice is an essential dimension of the mission of Development and Peace, and outlines the principles that guide this mission.

The Theological Backgrounder is a reflection that we invite you to read aloud with others, pausing at each highlighted question to share your own responses with one another as a group. The document also shows how the five principles of Catholic Social Teaching relate to natural resource extraction.